Electric wall socket



May 10, 1949.`

J. C. WALTON ET AL ELECTRIC WALL SOCKET Filed Sept. 24, 1945 May l0, 1949. JQ c. wALTQN ET AL 1 2,469,939

ELECTRIC WALL SOCKET Filed/sept. 24, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May 10, 1949 OFFICE ELECTRIC WALL SOCKET Joseph C. Walton and Raymond R. Rundell, Miami, Fla..

Application September 24, 1945, Serial No. 618.128.

2 Claims. (Cl. NSF-330) This invention relates to electric sockets and plugs.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved wall socket which is of a type such that the contacts cannot be short-circuited by projecting an article therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electric socket having a slidable springpressed guard which normally protects one of the contacts and is formed with a center opening for receiving a single pole plug, the plug being of such construction that the outer contact will hold the plug in operative position.

To the foregoing obj ects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of an electric wall socket constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectionalv view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an inner elevational view of the cap plate,

Figure 5 is a front elevation partly broken away and in section of a pair of sockets with the bezel removed from the housing, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical connections to the socket.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral IB designates generally an insulated housing which is formed of dielectric material or the like and in the present instance the housing I includes a body II, which is formed with a pair of openings I2 forming sockets and the outer end of each opening I2 is defined by an annular flange I3, which is formed with an outer bevelled face I4. The housing I0 also includes a rear or inner plate I which is formed with a pair of sockets I6 coaxial with the openings or sockets I2. The rear plate or lwall I5 is secured to the body II by fastening members I1 which engage through end anges I8 and I9 formed in the body II and the rear plate or wall I 5. In the present instance the flanges I8 and I9 are formed as inwardly offset flanges so that the outer edges of the flanges I8 2 and I9 will be ush with the opposite ends of th body I I and the rear or inner end member I5.

The body II is formed Iwith a rabbet 20 within which the offset forward portion 2i of the rear wall I5 is adapted to snugly engage so that the rear wall I5 will be held against lateral or lengthwise movement with respect to the body II. The body II has slidably mounted therein a disc-shaped plate 22 which is of a diameter to loosely engage within the circle formed by the annular flange I3. The plate 22 is provided with a bevelled outer surface 23 and is also formed with a central opening 2li through which the central contact member 25 of a connector plug, generally designated as 2B, is adapted to loosely engage.

The plate 22 has formed integral therewith an annular flange 2l which slidably engages the socket I2 and the outer end of a spring 23 engages within the flange 2'I. The inner or rear end of the spring 28y engages in an annular recess 29 which is formed in the inner end of the socket I6. The socket I6 has mounted therein a contact member 3B, which is formed of a pair of transversely arcuate resilient arms 3i, which are carried by a connecting bar 32. The arms 3| are adapted to engage about the center contact 25, as shown in Figure 2, and in order to prevent undue spreading of the arms SIr and to assure their return to normal position, we have provided an arm contracting band 33 which engages about the arms SI. The band 33 is formed of resilient material and is split so that the arms 3| can resiliently spread apart when the center contact 25 engages thereabout.

An outer stationary Contact, generally designated as 34, is carried by the body II and comprises a substantially frusto-conical ring 35, which is embedded in the body II. The ring 35 has extending from the inner circle thereof a plurality of resilient contact ngers 35 which project inwardly a slight distance from the inner circle of the flange i3 so as to resiliently engage in a V-shaped groove formed in a contact ring 31 carried by the plug 26. The two outer contact members 34 are connected together by means of inwardly convergent connecting bars 38, which are embedded in the body II between the two sockets I2 and are connected to a cornmon conductor bar 39, also embedded in the body II. The bar 39 has connected thereto an L- shaped conductor bar 4t which is also embedded in the body II and a terminal pole 4I. is adapted to be threaded into the conductor bar 40. The two inner contact members 30 are connected together by means of a connecting bar 42, which is secured adjacent the opposite ends thereof to the contact members 30 by fastening members 43.

The connecting bar 4B is embedded in the rear wall I5 and the bar 42 has extending therefrom an L-shaped contact bar 44. The contact bar 44 extends forwardly toward the rear end of the body II and has one side thereof disposed in an opening 45 formed in the rear wall I5. A resilient contact member 46, which has its forward end 41 embedded in the body I I, extends into the opening or socket 45 and resiliently engages against the contact bar 44. A terminal screw 48 is threaded into the embedded contact portion 4'! for connecting the contact members 30 to one side of a source of current supply. In order to provide for securing the housing I0 in a terminal box, we have provided oppositely extending bars 49, Which extend right angularly from the opposite ends of a body lI adjacent the outer side thereof and each bar 49 has formed integral therewith an anchoring bar 50, which is embedded in the body H and disposed on an obtuse angle to the bar 49. Fastening members 5I are adapted to be extended through the bars 49 and threaded into the outer wall 52 of a terminal box 53. The housing I0 has disposed on the outer side thereof a bezel plate 54, which is formed with a pair of openings 55 within which the projecting portions 55 of the body Il loosely engage. The bezel 54 is removably secured to the body ii by a bolt or screw 5l, which is extended through the central portion of the bezel and is threaded into an embedded nut 58 carried by the body I I.

In the use of this socket structure the housing I0 is mounted in the outlet box 53, which may be secured in a wall or the like, and the bezel 54 secured to the outer side of the housing I5. Normally the closure plate 22 will be in its outermost position, as shown to the left in Figure 2, being held in its outermostposition by means of the spring 28 so that the plate 22 will engage within the circle formed by the resilient fingers and will project slightly beyond these fingers in order that the contacts 35 and 34 cannot be accidentally short circuited. The connector plug 25 is inserted in the socket I2 by placing the contact memberv 25 in the central opening 24 of the closure plate 22. The closure plate 22 is then pushed inwardly until the center contact 25 is gripped by the resilient contact members 3l and until the grooved contact ring 31 is engaged by the resilient lingers 36 of the outer contact member 34. The resilient fingers 36 will normally hold the plug in its operative position engaged with the inner contact 30 and the outer contact 34. With a socket structure as hereinbefore described it is practically -impossible for a child to short circuit the contacts and in addition it is a relatively easy matter to insert the connector plug inasmuch as the outer 4 side of the closure plate 22 is tapered inwardly so as to guide the center contact 25 to the center opening 24 of the plate 22.

The exact configuration illustrated is regarded as the optimum, but some of the desirable results inherent in this disclosure may be obtained by various slight modifications including some departure from the exact configuration shown, and it is therefore requested that the scope of the invention should be regarded as limited only by the terms of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. An electric socket for single pole plug connectors, comprising a dielectric body, formed with a socket opening through the outer side thereof, a rear plate xed to said body, a centrally apertured closure plate slidable in said socket, a flange at the outer end of said' socket, an annular series of contact fingers xedly carried by said body inwardly of said flange, a flange carried by said closure engageable against said contact fingers when said closure is in its outermost position, a spring constantly urging said closure outwardly, an inner contact carried by said rear plate coaxial with said socket, said inner ycontact including a pair of transversely arcuate resilient lingers, a split resilient ring about said latter fingers, a terminal member carried by said body connected to said first named fingers, a second terminal member carried by said body, and disconnectable means connecting said second terminal member to said inner contact.

2. An electric socket for single plug connectors comprising an insulating body formed with a socket opening therethrough, a rear plate xed to said body, a spring-pressed closure plate slidable in said socket, a contact member carried by siad body in said socket, a terminal member carried by said bodyvconnected to said Vcontact member, a second terminal member carried by said body, resilient means releasably connecting said second `terminal member to said inner contact, said means including a contact bar connected to said inner contact, and a resilient Contact member on said body connected to said second terminal member engageable with said contact bar.

JOSEPH C. WALTON. RAYMOND R. RUNDELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

